To Catch an Immortal
by Charli Fox
Summary: Methos makes a promise to an old friend to protect an Immortal who is being followed by someone that is taking the heads of immortals not in the game. Next Chapter Up**
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I own no rights to Highlander etc, etc…**

A/N: Okay this is my first Highlander fanfic and so far have only seen the last season as Sky One can't seem to understand that I really need to see every other ep ever aired, anyhow. Enjoy****

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**To Catch an Immortal**

Prologue

She was being followed; someone had been tracking her since she had left Charles de Gaulle airport, maybe they had been watching her on the plane but she couldn't be sure. Josephine Andrews, the 432-year-old immortal couldn't see someone nearby, but she could feel their eyes on her and it was slightly unnerving; knowing somebody was following you but not knowing who or what it was. Shadow, the dog that padded along beside her snarled and she placed a hand on his collar, he knew something was nearby too. The Labrador had stayed with her for the last six years and guided her like a loyal friend.

This was their vacation ...she couldn't really call her trip to Paris that though, she had been on vacation for the last 250 years, her life was one great bit holiday. Not many immortals came to take her head as she wasn't considered a challenge, she was a blind, 432 year old immortal who had taken a grand total of eight heads...people left her alone, and she was pretty inconspicuous.

The last time Josephine had been in Paris was in 1996, a fairly new immortal had come after her and she was unprepared, she would have been his first kill if someone hadn't intervened. An immortal named Sam Cole had saved her head, not for any heroic reason, he'd just wanted her quickening for himself...that had never happened though. He wasn't that bad, Sam wanted to keep as much out of the game as she did.

Three weeks ago an immortal had challenged him, Sam had proved to be the second best fighter and being second best had gotten him killed, the funeral was on Tuesday, that gave her two more days to get herself reacquainted with Paris.

* * *

It didn't take long for her to find a hotel, there must have been hundreds of them dotted around the city and she chose one close to the Champs Elysses. The leaflet on the door stated it as a three star though it looked good enough to be a four. It was 4:48pm and she had been on the stuffy plane for eight long, boring hours but she wasn't tired, she felt the need to move around. If there was one thing Josephine hated...besides being followed, it was sitting around doing nothing.

Whoever had been keeping an eye on her earlier had gone and Josephine was able to settle down, it could've been a watcher but she didn't think so, they kept away from her as much as the immortals did. She was not deemed interesting enough to write about.

* * *

Before Josephine knew it Tuesday had come and she found herself standing by plot number 110, listening to someone talk about how much Sam Cole would be missed, she chuckled slightly in spite of the circumstances and a tall, dark haired man standing across from her looked at her strangely. None of these people knew Sam, not really, they didn't know the real him, what he was, what he aspired to be, what he could have become. The service concluded and the crowd gradually dispersed, Josephine stood over the freshly dug grave "I wish I could find the son of a bitch who did this, but...revenge isn't really my thing, killing isn't really my thing" she whispered regretfully.

An immortal was close-by and she turned slightly "how did you know him?" he had a British accent.

She turned around fully and stood face to face with the person who spoke to her "from around" she told him evasively "what about you? How did you know him?"

"Oh I spoke to him sometimes..."

"Are you gonna take my head?" she always was the straight to the point type of person.

The man shrugged "only if you try to take mine."

Shadow growled softly "I don't think my dog likes you."

"Well I'm more of a cat person maybe he senses that about me" she could hear his shoes on the wet grass as he walked towards her "Adam Pierson" his coat ruffled as he held out his hand to shake hers. She felt around in the air until she found his hand to shake it "you're blind..." he added in surprise.

She feigned an alarmed look "I am! Oh my God, I hadn't noticed that!" Methos laughed it was an embarrassed laugh "Josephine."

"Josephine? Is that like Madonna or Blondie?"

Now it was her turn to laugh "Andrews, Josephine Andrews..."

"And is that like Bond, James Bond?"

She chuckled and came back with a comment of her own "I can't believe you're picking up girls at a funeral. And with bad jokes no less"

"Well the girls in the actual cemetery aren't very talkative...are you hungry?" the crowd of people filtered away from the two speakers, leaving them alone whilst they made their way to their own cars.

"You're a fast worker" she retorted.

"I'm starving...so are you hungry?" he asked his question again.

She walked forward "I am if your paying" he reached out to help her "I've managed to get around for over 400 years without help, I don't need it now" it sounded harsher than she'd intended and she regretted he tone.

He let it pass. "So...food...pizza?"

She nodded. "Sure."

"...So this guy walks in on us fighting which really pisses Sam off...long story short, Sam took his head, his third I think he said it was, for some reason we didn't continue our own argument. I guess we both realised we weren't a threat to each other and we eventually became friends...took us a while to finally trust one another but it was better than taking his head."

Methos took a sip of his beer and looked around the small and homely looking restaurant "it's usually busier in here."

"I like the quiet."

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked her, concerned.

"Someone's watching us, don't you feel that?" Adam shook his head and answered no, his was suddenly on his guard, and he couldn't sense another immortal. "Someone was following me two days ago though nobody confronted me."

He took her by the hand. "Lets go" he ignored her protests that she could take care of herself, and led her outside "listen to me, do you really want this guy to try and take you're head? In the middle of Paris, of all places."

"You know who it is," it wasn't a question. She came to a stop; her demeanor demanded an answer.

"What?" Methos acted oblivious.

"I might not be able to tell from your face that you're lying to me, but I know from your voice...you know whose been tailing me" Josephine folded her arms. She wasn't going anywhere, not until she knew what the hell was going on.

"Listen to me Adam, I need to know who it is that's following me, please, tell me."

Methos shifted somewhat uncomfortably on his feet. "I promised Sam that I would look after you until all this had blown over."

"So it was no coincidence that we met," she concluded.

"The immortal that killed him is the one that's after you," he told her.

She was understandably upset. "Why?"

"I don't know, Sam was looking into this guy when he came and took his head...you can't stay here...he'll find you" he took her hand again but she pulled out of his grasp and started to walk away "where are you going!" he sounded exasperated.

"To my hotel" she said firmly "Shadow will look after me."

"A dog is no match against a bloody maniac wielding a sword!" Methos shouted in exasperation. A few passers-by looked at him like he was crazy; he didn't blame them it wasn't everyday you overheard a conversation like the one they were having.

"I've survived enough crazed immortals before, I'm not gonna let this one make me a prisoner...goodbye Mr. Pierson" she continued walking and Methos let her go.


	2. Chapter One

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To Catch an Immortal

Chapter One

It was 8pm when Josephine and Shadow finally arrived back at the hotel and she was shattered for the first time in a long while, she collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep and soothing sleep. Little did she know she was once again being watched he was standing too far away for her to know that though, Methos had made a promise to his friend that he would watch out for her and he wasn't going to break that promise. He needed someone to persuade her to see sense and he knew just who to ask…he just had to get her to meet with him.

He felt the familiar buzz he got when another immortal was near, he slipped into the shadows and watched and waited, it didn't take long for him to see the immortal. He was taller than Methos by a few inches, dark red hair and intense blue eyes, he wore his sword openly but it was dark so no one would see the weapon as it hung around his waist. If Methos could sense him, then he could sense Methos and he'd be on the look out, he would expect a fight.

Shadow jumped off the bed at the same time as Josephine woke up, she knew someone had come from her and she was trapped in a hotel room, on the third floor. She quickly felt around for her clothes, which she'd folded neatly and placed on the end of the bed, and put them on, then she'd gripped Shadow's collar tightly, he was her only protection.

She was still by the side of the bed when she heard someone fiddle around with the lock, she grabbed the lamp and moved back. As soon as she heard the door open she swung the lamp wildly and she heard someone shout "bloody hell! For someone who can't see you've got a good aim."

"Adam? What the hell are you doing here?" she didn't even bother hiding the fact that he'd scared her.

"Whoever's following you is here and you have to leave, now."

When he didn't say anything else she realised he was waiting for her to argue, but she didn't, if she'd learned anything, it was when to back down and let someone else take over "okay."

He sounded mildly surprised "okay, then lets go."

They made it to the second floor when the immortal got in their way, he was waiting for them by the next flight of stairs "I've been looking for you" he said as he watched Methos "you're a very hard man to track down."

"I thought he was looking for me" Josephine said, confused.

The immortal laughed "Oh, I am, now I get to take two heads at the same time."

"Answer me one thing first…why? You're purposely hunting Josephine and me as well, it seems."

The immortal nodded like it was already common knowledge why he was following them "well I'm eliminating everyone who isn't participating in the game…if you're not taking heads then there's really no reason for you to be walking around" he shrugged, smiling "that's life my immortal friend, sorry."  
"Can we please get a couple of things straight…firstly, I am not your friend and secondly, you are not taking our heads, sorry" Methos added cockily.

He sighed as if Methos was taking up his precious time, he unsheathed his sword "Sam didn't put up this much of an argument…come to think of it, he really didn't put up much of a fight either." He was goading Methos into a fight but it wasn't working…and that was annoying him. Methos' phone rang, causing them all to jump "can you please answer that and say you're goodbye's so we can start this…I have heads to take you know" he said it in a joking tone, but he was deadly serious.

"I found out who it was that killed Sam" the voice on the other end of the line said "he's been travelling all over the place taking heads, right now he's calling himself Aaron Jackson."

"Well, thanks for that Joe, but right now I'm in a position where I could find out that information first hand."

"Are you armed? Can you fight?" Joe was immediately worried.

"Well I have a pretty good right hook, does that count?"

"I'm not kidding!"

Methos laughed "neither am I" he said through gritted teeth "I have to go, I'm in the middle of something…" he put the phone down on Joe while he was in mid sentence. "Would you really take the head of an unarmed immortal?"

Aaron though about that for a moment, he looked agitated "well…if you're not in the game we shouldn't have to play by the rules."  
"I'm talking about fair play, not the game…it would be a bit easy for you, wouldn't it? You wouldn't exactly make a name for yourself…well not a name that would make you're father proud."

"My fathers dead…"

"Well he'd be turning in his grave then…"

Aaron rolled his eyes "…I won't tell you when I'm going to come, just keep a sword close-by" he sheathed his sword and backed away "the same goes for you, Josephine…no exceptions, I _will _come back for you." He turned away from them and ran down the stairs and into the moonless night.

"Do you always make up as many excuses as you can not to fight?" Josephine asked.

"Think of any excuse and chances are I made half of them."

"Damn you must be old then, who are you the legendary Methos?" she joked "how old are you anyway?"

"Oh, I've been around a while…I'm going to take you to a friend of mine, you'll be safe with him" he said, quickly changing the subject.

"I should never have come to Paris."

"He would've found you anyway no matter where you went, though you coming to Paris made it easier for me to find you" they walked outside, Aaron had gone "my cars down the road." Methos, Josephine and Shadow walked slowly down the road to the car, then they got in and Methos drove away.

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TBC…


End file.
